Black BMW 530i with BIG lesson learned

This car must have had a MoJo on it! I thought it was just another black late model 530i with a lot of swirls and could "whip" right through it quickly.



530i_QtrPanelSwirls.jpg




So, I compound away with the trusty DeWalt and Metabo and, after power washing away the compound dust, the dealer finds some serious flaws. Acid Rain on the horizontal surfaces. Paint overspray on the bumpers and some tell tale paint lines on the rear bumper.



The biggest lesson learned is to ALWAYS evaluate your work before you start! I should have spent 15-20 minutes going over the car and inspecting more closely. And, make some notes or mark the areas of concern with a grease pencil.



Here's a few pics of the wet sanding I did (actually I did the hood and trunk twice because I had compounded those areas before I found the acid rain etching).



530i_WetSandacidrain.jpg




On the hood, I ended up using 2000 grit instead of 3000 because it was more effective.



Finished compounding trunk lid



530i_CompoundedWetSandtrunklid.jpg




Finally got this car done last night (except for interior which I'll knock out tonight)



Process: Wet sand bad areas with 2000, 3M Extra Cut on a cutting pad, Meguiar's 83 for a polish, 3M Dark Glaze, Ultrafina SE, and Meguiar's 26 as a final. I might put a coat of Pinnacle Souveran paste on the hood and trunk lid for the extra "pop"...it won't take long and this car has already "whupppped my buttt"



530i_AfterWetSand_and_OHC.jpg




530i_InsideShop26.jpg




530i_OutsideShop26.jpg




Kneeling before the Altar of Blackness LOL....that's because I'm old and feeble!



530i_OutsideDoorReflection26.jpg




This car consumed a ton of time but looks fine now. It was also my first encounter with acid rain etching and that's a ton of extra work.



Toto
 
Looks like a bang up job! I looove a nice clean black.



Do you have any pictures of the water etching? I have some that needs to be addressed, im trying to figure out how i want to approach it.
 
Johnny-J5 said:
Looks like a bang up job! I looove a nice clean black.



Do you have any pictures of the water etching? I have some that needs to be addressed, im trying to figure out how i want to approach it.



Johnny: here's a cropped pic of the etching. Unlike water spots which typically have a white outline of the spot, acid rain etching is smaller and you can see the damage in the clear coat.



AcidRainetching.jpg




Depending upon the depth of the etching, you can use 2000 grit for heavy etching or 3000 grit for lighter etching. The critical item is total removal of your sanding marks. That's a slow process and I end up power washing the car often to check my work.



Toto
 
Totoland Mach- [Insert usual :bow regarding your work here..]



Is the 3M Extra Cut still my old friend PI-III 05936? If so, is the stuff still available or are you using up old stock?
 
Toto,



Maybe i need some help identifying what kind of water marks i have:



post%233.JPG




Ive hit these with a PC and SSR2 with no luck. These marks are still smooth, no actual eating of the clearcoat yet.



Im in the process of buying some product to correct my paint. Im pretty fresh to the detailing scene so im looking for some advise on what to buy. If i lived closer to you id drop off my car in a heartbeat.



Maybe you can chime in?



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/94610-need-detail-package.html



Thanks for you time!
 
Accumulator: yep the P-III Extra Cut is still available. The dealer just re-stocked on this stuff. Works great but is super dusty!



Johnny-J5: those appear to be water spots. I don't know if a pc is going to remove them. I have used SSR 2.5 before with a pc, but I'd try something along the lines of Optimum compound for some extra cutting power. Be sure to work the area long enough to remove the spotting.
 
Totoland Mach said:
.. yep the P-III Extra Cut is still available. The dealer just re-stocked on this stuff..





Ah, good, thanks for the info. Yeah, it *is* dusty stuff, and I never like the idea of *that* dust getting all over everything; I know it's presumably all broken down, but still.... :nervous:
 
Coupe: I'll check the 3M part number today, but it is Perfect-It III Extra Cut.



Accumulator: it is *very* dusty. I either power wash after compounding or, if the weather's bad, mix ONR at double strength in a bucket of warm water. The key is not re-introducing scratches in the finish. I've found that after compounding, the car's paint is easily scratched if super care isn't taken.



Toto
 
Thanks very much for the compliments folks. If I learned a little more from doing this Bimmer it's Inspect-Inspect-Inspect before you pick up the rotary. I ended up doing the hood and trunk twice because of the rush to complete the job.



And, that's my first run-in with acid rain damage....so now I'll definitely know what to look for and how to correct it. I'm very thankful that my dealer has over 35 year's experience and is the best teacher I could ever hope for.



Toto
 
Johnny-J5 said:
Toto,



Maybe i need some help identifying what kind of water marks i have:



post%233.JPG




Ive hit these with a PC and SSR2 with no luck. These marks are still smooth, no actual eating of the clearcoat yet.



Im in the process of buying some product to correct my paint. Im pretty fresh to the detailing scene so im looking for some advise on what to buy. If i lived closer to you id drop off my car in a heartbeat.



Maybe you can chime in?



http://autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/94610-need-detail-package.html



Thanks for you time!



I had some much worse than those on the decklid of my Mustang. I first tried Optimum Compound with a yellow pad, but it wouldn't get the most severe out so I then went to DACP with a yellow pad and it took them right out. Followed up with Optimum Polish, VM and UPP.



:waxing:
 
I don't mean to pry into man's pay check, but I'm assuming that your being paid a hefty sum if your spending two days on one vehicle, right?



Negating that, the vehicle looks excellent! Amazing work :)
 
Danforz: I'm rewarded adequately for this type work. It's more reconditioning an automobile than detailing. My goal is to bring a 3-4 year old car back to showroom new inside and outside. The dealer never knows what type customer will buy these cars, so he exceeds everyone's expectations. That's why he's been around for 32 years.



Here's a few pics of the car outside the shop.



BMW530i_OutsideQtr_LSP2.jpg




BMW530i_OutsideQtr_LSP.jpg




BMW530i_OutsideHood_LSP.jpg




Toto
 
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